Skyfall
by Artemis Sherwood
Summary: When he first saw her, she was a young college student who had just given the performance of a lifetime. Her voice drew him to her like the wind drew him to the sky, like magic spoke to his soul. Jareth swore to hear her voice again and instead found himself falling for the shy, gentle creature who sang with unspeakable power. (On hiatus until I feel inspired.)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I should be working on my Doctor Who fic, but I just watched Labyrinth for the first time about two days ago. I absolutely loved it and woah I have the biggest crush on David Bowie. His voice is the most gorgeous thing in the world.**

**I know this idea is far from original, but I love OC stories to death and just couldn't find one that I really loved. So here is my own sad attempt. Enjoy! (And sorry about the lack of length.)**

I shifted nervously from foot to foot, my dress swishing around my knees. My heart was pounding in my chest and I suddenly felt faint. The pair performing ahead of me finished their song and the crowd clapped and cheered enthusiastically.

"Oh God," I breathed. "I can't do this. I-I can't do this."

The curtain closed and the boy and girl on stage rushed off. The girl standing next to me with the headphones smiled at me and nodded reassuringly. She gave me a thumbs up and handed me my microphone. The announcers called my name and the crowd cheered. I felt my breath catch in my throat when the curtains opened.

Then the music started and when I heard the first few notes of the song, I felt my nerves fade away to a low buzz in my chest. Casually, as if I were the most confident girl on the planet, I stepped onto the stage with my chest and head held high. Blood was pumping so quickly and heavily through my veins that I felt almost lightheaded. But as the intro to the song played, I relaxed a little and stopped in the middle of the stage. The spotlight flashed on and caught me in its gaze, the music slowed, and I started the song.

"_This is the end. Hold your breath and count to ten._" My voice shook and I could feel my hands shaking. But I knew the song like the back of my hand, each swell, each word, and it was mine in that moment. "_Feel the earth move and then… hear my heart burst again._"

The rest of the song lasted for a bittersweet eternity. As I hit the first true high note, my heart nearly stopped and my eyes slid closed and I felt warmth spread through my body. The natural swell of the music made me feel like I was flying. Goosebumps spread across my arms, up to my shoulders and neck to my cheeks.

I opened my eyes when the instrumental music shone through and felt my throat constrict. My grand finale was coming fast. Just a few more lyrics and then I could soar higher than I'd ever been. My entrance came up and I closed my eyes again, letting the music take over me once more.

"_We will stand tall at sky fall. Let the sky fall…_" I was terrified. I could hit the note, but could I hold for as long as I needed to? "_We will stand tall._" I took the biggest breath I could manage to take and jumped headfirst. "_At sky fall…_" I made it and my eyes fluttered open. I smiled. Then I let out the fading syllable that dimmed with the music and the spotlight died.

The music had barely ended when the crowd erupted into applause so outrageous and overwhelming that I nearly cried. I smiled with all my heart when I saw my friends and family in the audience. Their applause made me feel like I was falling and fainting, and dying and gasping for air all at once. I felt powerful. I felt relieved. I felt loved and adored and it was the most empowering experience of my entire life.

* * *

The performance had been stressful and wonderful and had made me feel more confident in myself than I ever had before. My mother, despite being sick, had stayed for the entire show. She gave me a bouquet of roses in congratulations afterwards and then left to go home early. I stayed behind to accept thanks and congratulations and hugs from every person in the audience who had enjoyed my song.

Later that evening, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling with a smile on my face. My roommate was out with her boyfriend, which meant I had the room to myself. So I unplugged my headphones and blasted my music from my laptop and sang to my heart's content.

Then, when my throat was tired and my eyes were dangerously close to falling shut for the rest of the night, I put my music away and dressed for bed. I was about to crawl into bed when there was a tap at my window. Confused and slightly panicky about creepy strangers, I peeked through the blinds above my bed. At first I saw nothing, but then I saw the flutter of feathers and large brown eyes and I relaxed.

I pulled on the string that lifted the blinds up and smiled through the glass at the handsome barn owl who had landed on the tree branch outside the window. Moving slowly so I wouldn't startle the creature, I pushed the window up and open and cooed to the owl through the mesh screen.

"Hey there," I whispered sweetly.

It hooted and tilted its head to the side. Then it inched down the branch, his claws wrapped firmly around the wood and digging into the bark for stability. I started in surprise when the owl pressed its beak against the mesh and bumped my hand through the screen.

"Well, aren't you a clever little boy?" I paused. "Or are you a girl?"

The owl hooted again and I laughed.

"Well I don't know where you come from, Mister Owl, but I have to go to bed now." I pushed the window shut and waved goodbye to the bird with a smile. "Bye bye. little guy."

* * *

The owl waited patiently outside the young woman's window, watching her even after she fell asleep. Then he ruffled his feathers and took off into the night sky, the moonlight shining in his eyes. Her song was stuck in an eternal loop in his head and he promised to return to hear her voice again. Jareth was never one to break a promise.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I edited the heck out of this. I probably changed the direction of this chapter five times before finally settling. I hope it's okay. Since I'm still very new to this fandom, I'm taking what little info I've gathered and combining it with my own headcanons. So let's hope it all ends well. (And I know the length isn't very impressive, but I'm in college and rarely have free time. I'm just making do with what I have.)**

**I'm also experimenting with both point of view and a new style of writing here. I'll try not to do it too much, but I'd like to switch between Jareth's pov and my oc's at first. We'll see how it goes from there.**

In the nearly forty years since Sarah had left, the Goblin King grew lonely. The goblins were ill company and he often turned to his crystals for relief. Parents seemed to have forgotten about the Goblin King and his kingdom because rarely were any children wished away to his castle. He had been forgotten by the Aboveworld.

In the beginning he would watch Sarah through his crystals, wondering about the life they could have had together had she agreed to be his. But she too had forgotten about him. The girl Sarah had once been blossomed with beauty, even into her middle aged years, and tiny thing that was once a mere babe had grown into a man with a happy family.

But while they grew up, the Goblin King remained alone. He kept himself company during the long years that his despair and loneliness grew, causing him to rule carelessly over his lands. Jareth longed for a different life, a life that might please him better than being Goblin King in the labyrinth.

That was how he found her. It was purely by accident, but in Jareth's mind it was the most wonderful accident to ever be imagined. Her voice had a kind of magic to it, a magic somehow like his own. It had tugged at his heart and drawn him to her across the realms. He went to the Aboveworld and when he finally saw her, Jareth saw her soul in her song. It took his breath away.

And when she soared with the final note, Jareth knew he had to return. He had to hear her voice again. He wanted, _needed_ to hear her voice create those strange melodies again. So he grasped onto that final moment with his magic and looked into her heart and he saw pure light. Pure, innocent, beautiful light. Plain and shy she may have been, Jareth saw potential in the young woman.

When he returned to the labyrinth, her song was a tattoo in his mind. For the first time in a very long while, the Goblin King smiled. Just a small hint of a smile. But it was a true smile.

The next time he saw her was a planned accident. Her voice had called him again when he returned to the Aboveworld and he followed the tug at his heart without question. In the form of a barn owl, Jareth watched and listened.

She was a curious creature, a mystery worth solving because no one had ever drawn him in quite like she did. He wanted to understand the magic of her voice and why it had affected him so greatly. He was, after all, a powerful Fae and a king. And yet the reserved creature singing before him was just as powerful as he was.

Music was a powerful tool. Jareth knew its power well; he had used it once before on Sarah. But he had never anticipated music to draw him in the way it had drawn Sarah in. So what made this human woman different?

* * *

"So are you going to audition for that solo?"

I looked up from my homework to see my roommate, Clara, smiling at me. I shrugged. "Maybe," was my soft reply. "I'm not sure."

"Diana, you _have_ to! After that performance, everyone is going to want to hear you."

"It wasn't _that_ good."

Clara tsked. "Of course it was. You nearly brought the house down and it was just a stupid little talent show! Diana, you're still getting compliments on Facebook and it's been almost a week."

I flushed. Receiving comments had always been difficult for me. "I know."

"You want to be a professional singer, right?"

"Yes," I said with a nod.

"Well then you have to put yourself out there! Just singing in the shower or in choir isn't going to make you famous."

"I know." I sighed and pushed myself away from my desk. I walked over to my bed and lay down on my back. "I know it won't."

Clara's phone suddenly buzzed on her desk. She grabbed it and quickly unlocked the screen with her thumb. "Hey, I gotta go," she said absently as she tucked the phone into her back pocket. "Class starts in fifteen minutes and I have to go all the way across campus to the library."

"Have fun," I teased.

Once Clara left, I turned on the music on my laptop and started working on my homework. It wasn't long, however, before I had moved out of my chair and was standing in the middle of the room. Singing while sitting perfectly still was impossible for me. I needed room, space to breathe, enough room to let the music move me.

"_With the sting of the whip on my shoulder, with the salt of my sweat on my brow. Elohim, God on high, can you hear your people cry? Help us now, this dark hour._" As I sang, I let my arms move with the melody. The music felt powerful, the words were full of meaning and emotion. All my worries melted away because nothing else existed outside of my music. "_Deliver us! Hear our call, deliver us! Lord of all, remember us here in this burning sand! Deliver us! There's a land you promised us. Deliver us to the promised land!_"

I let my eyes slide shut. I let the music wash over me and guide my motions.

"_Hush now, my baby. Be still, love, don`t cry._" My voice changed from the passion and strength I had earlier. I was singing to a crying baby. "_Sleep as you`re rocked by the stream. Sleep and remember my last lullaby so I'll be with you when you dream…_ _River, oh river, flow gently for me._ _Such precious cargo you bear._ _Do you know somewhere he can live free? River, deliver him there._"

There was a light knock at my window. I rushed to my computer to pause the music and then ran to the window in confusion. Then I pulled up the blinds and saw the owl that had been outside the window the night of my performance. I smiled and quickly opened the window so I could see the creature a little better.

"Hello again, Hedwig," I said teasingly.

The owl hooted and flapped its wings a few times, then tucked them against its torso. I smiled and scratched my fingernails against the screen. The owl clicked its beak and scooted down the branch to get closer to the window.

"You certainly are a beautiful bird," I mumbled. "Aren't you?"

Another hoot from the friendly owl.

"Were you listening to me sing?" I questioned in a falsely serious tone. "Maybe you should knock before I start singing. It's not polite to watch a lady without her knowing."

The owl cooed and I felt as if he was trying to tell me something, even though it was a stupid feeling. I smiled at it and scratched the screen again as I copied his cooing sound.

"Would you like me to sing to you?" The owl's head bobbed up and down. I laughed. He almost reminded me of a person, the way his eyes widened just a little. "Alright, Mister Owl. I'll sing for you."

I pulled my chair over to the window and sat down. "_Where in the world have you been hiding? Really you were perfect._" The owl made a sound that almost sounded like a purr when I started singing. I smiled at the bird and leaned my head against the window frame. "_Father once spoke of an angel. I used to dream he'd appear. Now as I sing I can sense him, and I know he's here._"

I noticed that when I would hit a higher note, the little owl would tilt his head to the side and coo softly. I hoped that its reaction was a good thing.

As I progressed in the song, I closed my eyes and relaxed against the windowsill. Music had always been a kind of therapy for me and even when I was feeling alright, just singing one song could make me feel ten times happier. When I began the chorus with a beautiful high note, I knew that nothing else in the world could ever feel that _right_.

"_Angel of music, guide and guardian, grant to me your glory!_" I smiled and let my eyes flutter open. The owl was gazing at me and I absently tapped my forefinger against the screen. "_Angel of music, hide no longer, come to me strange angel!_"

The owl cooed and made a little shiver. I sang the final lines of the song with a pleased feeling in the center of my chest. "_He's with me even now… All around me… It frightens me. Don't be frightened…_" Then I leaned back in my chair. "What do you think, Mister Owl?"

Like before, the curious little owl hooted softly. He nudged his beak against the screen and stared up at me with his large, brown eyes. I gently petted his peak through the screen of the window. Then, so suddenly that I was sure I imagined it, the owl's eyes changed color for a split second. The brown flashed to two shades of brilliant, mismatched blue and then flashed back to a caramel brown.

I gaped in surprise at the owl. Then I shook my head and laughed. "Oh, I think I need some sleep, Hedwig," I told the bird. "I could've sworn I saw your eyes change."

The bird somehow managed to look alarmed.

I laughed again. "You're a strange little bird," I murmured. "I wish I knew what your name is. I can't just call you Mister Owl or Hedwig, can I?"

There was a knock on the door. I turned in my seat to face the door and watched as Clara stepped into the room. She immediately started to tell me the details of her class as she tossed her bag onto the floor and sat down by her desk. I glanced back out the window to stare at the owl while my friend talked, but I saw that the bird had left already.

Clara continued her story, but I was only half listening. I rested my chin in my hands and gazed through the screen at the bright blue sky and white clouds overhead. It wasn't until something smacked against the back of my head that I drew out of my haze.

"What was that for?" I questioned in annoyance.

"You weren't paying attention to me," Clara replied with a raised eyebrow. She lifted the object that she had smacked me with and handed it to me. "And this is for you, you dork."

I took the object and looked over it. It was a book, just a little larger than the width of my hand. The cover was a deep crimson color with two black, rectangular borders. Vines of black roses surrounded the two borders. The title was written in simple gold font: 'The Labyrinth'.

"What is it?" I asked as I turned the book over in my hands.

"Required reading for my English class. And we both know that I never read anything if there's Spark Notes for it."

"I'm assuming you found the Spark Notes page during class."

Clara grinned. "Lunch, actually."

I rolled my eyes and set the book down on my desk. "Well thanks, Clara. I'll probably start on it after dinner."

* * *

The Goblin King tilted his head back and let his eyes close. He absently slapped the riding crop against his foot as he thought about the young woman. He had watched and listened her intently, so intently that he had let his control slip for a moment. He knew he couldn't afford to let that happen again. But her voice had drawn him in, like a moth to the flame, like magic to his soul. Her voice was a calming comfort for his loneliness and boredom. And her voice was also power and magic and a magnet to his ever curious being.

Jareth suddenly gasped, his eyes flying open to stare at the ceiling. Magic was tugging at his chest, alerting him. He sat up in his throne and conjured up a crystal. The object hovered above his open palm and an image of the Aboveworld girl appeared. She was holding a book in her hands and reading from it, but her voice was changing the words into a soft melody.

"_Goblin King, Goblin King, wherever you may be, come and take this child of mine far away from me,_" she sang softly.

He was entranced. The girl was nothing special in his eyes, her physical beauty plain and simple compared to that of Sarah's. But when she sang, she became beautiful and powerful. Her light shone through with the music and struck a curious chord in Jareth's heart. How could a mere Aboveworld woman have such strength and magic in her voice?

She didn't sing again for a while, but Jareth saw her lips moving as she read. He wondered how she had chosen almost the perfect words to say. He focused on the book in the singer's hands and noticed that it was the same book that Sarah once had. Or at least a similar copy.

"Curiouser and curiouser," the king mumbled under his breath as he gazed into the crystal.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So I hope I'm not moving the story too fast. Like I've said before, I'm still getting into this fandom so Jareth probably won't be perfectly in character.**

**But other than that, I'd love to see what my readers are interested in this story becoming. While I do have the story mostly planned out, there are some spots that are still vague in my mind. Give me some input and I hope that the story lives up to your expectations.**

**Update: I edited a few of the problem areas that I missed the first time.**

Clara was spending the weekend with her boyfriend, Peter, about an hour away at a summer home in her family. That meant that I had the dorm to myself. I used the opportunity to finish a few math assignments, and then decided to read through 'The Labyrinth' again. I'd only had the book for about a week and I had already read through it ten times. By the time I had read it six times, I had unintentionally memorized the first paragraph. By the tenth time, I had managed to memorize half of the first page and the ending lines.

I had fallen completely in love with the story. The hero with whom the Goblin King had fallen in love with was young, but strong and brave against all the odds. The Goblin King himself was arrogant and mysterious, yet he was also easy to sympathize with. He gave some of his powers to the girl he had fallen for so that they could be together and when she wished her brother away, she ended up using those powers against him. In the end, she denied his love and his magic to return her brother home. Her denial destroyed the Goblin King and he let her go with a broken heart.

I couldn't quite place what it was about the story, but I absolutely loved it. The challenges that the heroine faced in the labyrinth were realistic in some aspects and completely symbolic in others. They represented the heroine's fears and nightmares. And, as the Goblin King told her before she entered his maze, the labyrinth changed to personalize for each person. It was because of the genius way the story was written that I loved to read it so many times.

At dinner later that day, I was nibbling on a roll whilst reading when somebody slightly behind me cleared their throat. I glanced up from my book for a moment and paused when I saw a young man standing just to the side of my table with a tray of food in his hands. My throat constricted and I felt my eyes widen a little.

"Hi," the stranger said with a dimpled smile. "Can I sit here?"

I awkwardly fumbled around with my book and purse, trying to push them out of his way. "Yeah. Yeah, sure," I replied quickly as I moved my things to one of the three free chairs. "Sorry. I didn't see you."

"That's okay." He placed his tray down on the table and then sat down. "I'm Danny. Well, Daniel, but I prefer Danny."

I smiled genuinely and waved. "Diana."

Danny extended his hand across the table and I took it, giving his hand a firm shake for a few seconds before pulling back. Then I glanced down at my food so I wouldn't stare awkwardly at the stranger. I poked at my food with the prongs of my fork.

"You're that girl who sang at the talent show last week, right?"

I nodded and felt my cheeks flush. "Yeah."

Letting my eyes shift to meet Danny's, I saw that he was smiling. "You were incredible," he said with a serious look in his eyes. "You brought the house down."

"Thank you," I replied softly.

"I mean it. You were… Well, you were amazing. Adele's a risky choice, especially a Bond song like that one. But you totally rocked it."

"You watch a lot of James Bond?" I questioned as I took a sip of my drink.

"Oh, yeah. _Love_ Bond movies. Especially the original stuff with-"

"Sean Connery?" I asked as he said the exact same words. We smiled and laughed, glancing shyly away from on another. I mustered my courage and looked back at him. "Yeah, I love Sean Connery."

"He's brilliant as 007."

"Did you like him as Henry Jones in Indiana Jones?"

Danny nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! The first role I ever saw him in."

"Really?" I smiled and shook my head. "That's so weird. That was the first role I ever saw him in too."

Danny and I quickly leapt into conversation, the topic starting with Indiana Jones and eventually moving on to musicals and television shows and books. We had a similar taste in action and adventure movies, both of us loving the new Marvel films and the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Then the discussion turned to books made into movies and I elaborated my disappointment in 'The Giver' and its adaptation.

"I figure if a book is a best seller and a winner of the Newberry Medal, then you probably don't need to change it. It's a best seller for a reason," I said firmly, letting my passion for books bleed into my words. "There wasn't any emphasis on romance in the book. At _all_."

Danny smiled and nodded. "No, no, I completely agree." He took a quick bite of his food, then set his fork down. "What are your feelings on 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit'? Or have you seen them?"

"I have seen them. I've only actually read 'The Hobbit' and 'The Fellowship of the Ring', but I know there are a lot of inaccuracies in the movies. And with a book series that long and that detailed, you can't get everything in and I get that. But I wish they hadn't changed certain things. Like Glorfindel."

"Yes. _Yes._ Exactly that."

"Or Tom Bombadil. Tom Bombadil was so amazing! I _love_ him!"

"I know!" Danny leaned in closer to me and sighed. "Tom Bombadil was my favorite character as a child. I loved him."

"Or Radagast. I mean, I loved having him in 'The Hobbit', but I wish they had put him in 'The Fellowship of the Ring'."

Danny nodded and looked back at his food. He took a long drink from his cup and I leaned back against my chair.

"Speaking of Radagast…" I trailed off and chewed lightly on my bottom lip. "Do you know who Sylvester McCoy is? Other than his role as Radagast?"

The young man shook his head, a confused expression on his face.

"Oh, well never mind then," I mumbled. "He was in a British science fiction show that I really like."

"So you like science fiction?"

I started laughing outrageously. Danny couldn't have known any better since he had just met me, but all of my friends knew that my main obsession was science fiction or anything remotely related. The poor man stared at me in confusion and waited for me to stop laughing like a fool. When I finally composed myself, I cleared my throat.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I'm known among my friends for being a science fiction nerd. It's my favorite genre."

Danny grinned and asked, "Star Wars?" I nodded. "Star Trek?" I nodded again. "Original Series? Next Generation? Deep Space? Voyager? _Enterprise?_"

"All of the above."

"What about the new films?"

"I like them, but they have a few minor problems that annoy me."

"What do you think of Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan?"

"Brilliant," I replied without hesitation. "He is amazing as Sherlock in the BBC show and I think he was the perfect choice for Khan."

Danny smiled. "Do you watch a lot of British stuff?"

I shrugged and glanced down at my empty plates. "Sort of. I mean, I like a lot of British stuff and I think there are a lot of good things about it. But I also like a few American stuff. Not as much, but some."

"You said you really liked 'The Avengers'. Do you like Joss Whedon's work?"

"Do you?" I countered with a mischievous spark in my eye.

" 'Buffy'?"

I nodded. "Love it. Definitely has problems, but I think overall it's an amazing show. Willow, Tara, and Spike are my favorite characters."

" 'Firefly'?"

"Still working on that one, actually," I replied. "You seen 'Dollhouse'?"

"Yes!"

We both laughed. "Well I'm still on season one, so don't spoil it for me," I told Danny as I pointed at him.

The conversation progressed for at least another hour. Although we didn't like the exact same things, as is to be expected, we found that our tastes in entertainment were ultimately very similar. Danny was even more of a bookworm than I was, which was both endearing and shocking, and he too loved science fiction and fantasy.

While Danny was talking about a mostly unknown science fiction book he had discovered, I glanced down at my watch and gasped. "Oh my God," I squeaked as I jumped to my feet and started to grab my things. "I'm so, so sorry, Danny, but I have to go. I didn't even realize what time it was. I have a class in, like, five minutes."

"Oh, um… Okay." He stood up and grabbed my tray for me. "I'll get this for you. You get to class."

"Thank you so, so much," I breathed in a rush.

He smiled kindly at me and nodded. "I'll see you around," he said simply.

I waved at him, and then ran off with my backpack over my shoulder.

* * *

A week later, at my choir concert, I stood on the stage with a microphone in my hands. My heart was pounding rapidly in my chest and I was almost as nervous as I was the last time the spotlight had been trained on me.

The choir started up behind me along with the piano and I smiled sweetly at the crowd. My cue came up and I jumped into the song, pouring my heart and soul into the music. I could feel my voice shake as I approached the high note in the middle of the solo.

_You can do it, you can do it,_ I told myself.

I smiled without even meaning to when the note passed without a quiver. Then I let my voice fade into the background as the choir came in again. I dropped the mic and sang my part, waiting eagerly for the remainder of my solo.

The song completed with a satisfying combination of voice and piano that intertwined beautifully until the sound was spent. The hair on the back of my neck tickled, a shiver ran along my spine and down my arms, and I felt at ease.

Much like the night of my previous performance, the audience burst into wild applause. I replaced the microphone on its stand and stepped back into my spot alongside my choir mates. I was so proud of myself for auditioning, for getting the solo, for performing it as well as I did despite being scared of failing. And the response from the audience was so overwhelming that for a short time, I was simply lost in the moment.

* * *

_What a fascinating creature._

Jareth hid in the corner of the theatre and watched with his arms crossed over his chest. He could feel the power of the music in her voice. The way it reached out for his magic and took hold of his heart, the way it soothed his troubles amazed and startled the Goblin King. No woman or man had ever soothed him with their voice like she did.

She had been born with a beautiful and powerful gift and whether or not she knew of her abilities, she could use them without any difficulty at all. It was impressive, to say the least. In his realm, music was both a powerful weapon and a gift. Those that were lucky enough to be born with remarkable talent were given every opportunity to hone their gifts and abilities to perfection. Jareth couldn't help but wonder what would happen to the young woman's voice if he were to take her back with him.

On stage, the conductor gestured for the young woman to step out from her peers. She smiled at the crowd and took a bow. Jareth watched her as her cheeks flushed and wondered why she was so shy with a voice like hers. He remembered the last time he had seen her, the way she had serenaded him in his animal form was unashamed and unreserved and he wanted to see that side of her again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our soloist," the conductor announced into the microphone, "Diana Cole."

After the performance, Jareth tried to exit the theatre as quickly as possibly. But a wall of people had come up in front of the exit and he had nowhere to go. The choir members were conversing with some of the people in the audience and Jareth desperately wanted to leave before he was forced to speak to one of them.

Someone suddenly bumped into his back, which made him stumble forward a few steps. Then he felt small hands on his shoulder and he turned in annoyance to face the person who had dared to touch him, a king-

"Sir, I am _so_ sorry." It was her. "I-I didn't see you standing there. Are you okay? Did I push you into the wall?"

Jareth stared at the young woman in shock. He didn't know what to say or do. She looked up at him with wide, almond shaped, green eyes streaked with gold and brown. Long, dark brown eyelashes fanned out around her eyes. She looked round and soft and gentle, but Jareth knew better. He knew the power she had within her; he had sensed it when he first saw her.

"Sir?"

He blinked twice and let his lips curl back into a smirk. "You have the most remarkable voice, Diana Cole," he purred in a voice that oozed charm and sophistication.

"Oh." Her cheeks flushed bright red, contrasting with the slight tanned color of her face. "Um, thank you, sir. I appreciate that very much."

Jareth wanted her to sing again. The goblins had been growing restless and lazy of late and it was driving him mad. Diana's voice had made him forget all of that, even if only for the few minutes she had sung. If only he could have her voice with him while he worked in the labyrinth. She could make the hours pass by like mere seconds, he was sure of it.

"I'm sorry, what was your name? I didn't ask."

"James." That was his alias. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Diana extended her hand with a genuine smile that could brighten the entire room. He knew it was custom to shake hands in the Aboveworld, but Jareth also knew that he could charm any woman he met. So he lightly took her hand and raised it to his lips, raising one eyebrow and gazing almost suggestively at her through his lashes.

_Ah, there's that delightful blush again,_ he thought smugly.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I've introduced some stuff in here that's really just me trying to incorporate my own headcanons about the 'Labyrinth' story and everything. Hope you enjoy. (The songs mentioned are "Beauty" and "Beauty Underneath" from 'Love Never Dies' by Andrew Lloyd Webber.)**

_Did he actually just kiss my hand?_

I felt my heart start to race, the vein in my neck pulsing heavily against my skin. The man, James, was tall and thin with piercing eyes that were a mismatched blue and brown color. He had short blond hair with a fringe that fell across his forehead and eyes from the left side of his face. His nose was thin and narrow, almost hawk-like in appearance, and his cheekbones were just as distinctive. His eyebrows were thin and a shade of dark brown, but I also noticed a hint of make up under his brows that only made the different shades of his eyes more prominent.

I could tell my thoughts were becoming more and more jumbled by the second. Speaking with strangers had always made me flustered. _Speaking. Oh, damn. Pay attention, Di!_

"U-Um, thank you. I guess," I stammered awkwardly. "I mean, um… I'm sorry. I just wasn't expecting that."

James had a very smug expression on his face and I felt my heart thud heavily in my chest once again.

"Tell me, Diana, how long have you been singing?"

I smiled politely and nervously tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "Well, I'm a sophomore right now, so that makes… four years. I mean, I used to sing on my own before that at church or something, but I've only been in choir for about four years. And I actually just started taking lessons last year, so…"

"My word, you are quite an impressive young woman." I could hear the incredulous tone of his voice and felt a little tug of pride in my chest.

"Thank you. That's very kind of you."

"I was lucky enough to see your last performance as well," James added. "You have a remarkable voice."

I laughed a little nervously and glanced away as my cheeks flushed red yet again. "Thank you. I-I really appreciate that," I said shyly. "I work very hard to be a good singer."

"You are more than just 'good', my dear."

An audience member suddenly bumped me from behind and I stumbled forward, right into James' chest. I felt my face erupt into a blush and I quickly scrambled backwards. He was staring curiously at me with his mismatched eyes and I felt like I was going to implode and explode all at once.

"_Ohmygosh_," I started in a rush, "I am so sorry. I-I… I'm sorry."

The man simply smiled at me and folded his arms behind his back. "It's quite alright, my dear. No harm done," he assured me, raising his eyebrows into a perfect arch.

From somewhere behind me, a man's voice called my name and I turned in confusion. Standing in the middle of a long row of seats was, to my great surprise, Danny. I smiled and waved a little awkwardly at him, then turned back to James.

"Sorry, a friend of mine- James?" The man had seemingly disappeared while my back was turned and I instantly felt guilty. "James? Where…?" I awkwardly rubbed my hand along the back of my neck and spun around to try and spot the man as he was leaving.

Danny called my name again and I hurried through the crowd of exiting audience members. He waved at me again when I started down the row of seats he was standing in and I smiled at him in response.

"Hello again."

I felt my cheeks flush again. "Hello again to you," I answered. "How are you?"

"I'm great." He lightly reached an arm out and tapped his fingers against my hand. "Hey, you were _amazing_."

"Oh. Um, thanks."

Danny grinned and I found his smile extremely contagious. "Really. That was a great performance. I loved it." He slowly moved his hands so they were resting partially inside his pants pockets and then leaned back against one of the chairs. "The whole concert was great. You guys sounded really good."

"Oh, thanks. There were a few parts we've been having trouble with and so a lot of the others were really nervous. But I think we did okay."

"You did."

I ducked my head and smiled, feeling my cheeks grow warmer and warmer. As I glanced down, I spotted Danny's jacket draped over one of the seats and a rose sticking out from under the lapel.

"What's that?" I asked softly, leaning forward to see if it really was what I thought.

"Oh, that," Danny stammered. "Uh, that… that's for you actually."

I glanced back up at him in surprise. "For me?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Y'know, for your solo."

"Oh, Danny, that's so sweet," I praised as he reached under his jacket for the pink bud. "Thank you so much. It's beautiful."

Danny's lips spread into a wide smile and his eyes sparkled happily in the stage lights. I brought the flower to my nose and took a sniff of the sweet fragrance. Then I looked back at the young man and offered him a beaming smile.

"Thank you," I said again.

"Yeah. It's no problem."

* * *

A few weeks later, after another lunch with Danny, I was walking past the library when I tripped and bumped into a stranger. My arms shot out to keep from barreling completely into him and his hands flew up to wrap around my forearms as I fell against his chest.

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry," I squeaked in embarrassment as I tried to regain my footing.

"No need to apologize, my dear."

_Wait a sec…_ I looked up in confusion, thinking I recognized the man's voice, and started when I found two mismatched eyes gazing down at me. I smiled and exclaimed the man's name, jumping out his arms to gesture at him with a few excited hand gestures.

"I remember you!"

He smiled and pursed his lips slightly, the corners of his mouth quirking upwards for a moment. "Miss Cole," he began.

"Oh, please. Diana is fine."

"Diana, then," he replied with a nod of his head.

I smiled and ran a hand through my hair. "You disappeared the other day, at the concert. I didn't mean to be rude, you know. It's just that my friend called my name and-"

"As I said earlier, my dear, you don't need to apologize. I was… in a hurry," he said slowly.

"Oh. Okay. Well, I hope I see you at our next concert."

James nodded. "I would love to come, so long as you have another wonderful solo in store for me."

I shrugged, absently blowing a few strands of hair out of my eyes. "We'll have to see if my instructor gives me another solo, but I'm hopeful."

The two of us stood in awkward silence after that, the wind blowing through the trees overhead and the sound of students walking and talking echoing behind us in the dining commons. I kept glancing at James from beneath my bangs and letting my gaze jump away when he locked eyes with me. His blonde fringe hung partially over one eye and swayed just so with the breeze. With his hands stuffed casually in his pockets, he had the appearance of a "handsome, mysterious stranger" from a film.

"Um, I, uh… I kinda have to go," I finally breathed after a long stretch of silence. "I, um, have some work to take care of back at my room."

James said nothing; he simply nodded at me and took a half step back. I smiled briefly at him and stepped past him with a whispered goodbye. He remained silent, but kept his eyes trained on me as I walked off. I looked over my shoulder and paused mid step when I saw that James had disappeared. Then, flying out of the trees, a small barn owl cooed and circled overhead.

I sighed and hurried back to my room, opening the window to let in the fresh air. I put on some music and started cleaning up my half of the room. Just a few minutes into my cleaning job, a soft coo sounded outside my window. I looked outside and spotted the barn owl sitting in the tree by the window.

"Hello again." I leaned my hand against the mesh and scratched my fingernails against the surface. "You've been gone for a few weeks, you know. And I've finally come up with a name for you while you were M.I.A."

The owl hooted and tilted its head to the side, its eyes widening with what I guessed was curiosity. I smiled and scratched the mesh again.

"My friend Clara got me a book like a month ago and I decided to research it. Apparently some woman called Sarah Connelly based it on a dream she had when she was a teenager." The owl made an almost alarmed hoot, ruffling its wings and scooting closer to the window. "She said in an interview that the Goblin King was called Jareth in her dream, but she didn't name in the book for some reason. Anyway, I was thinking that Jareth would be the perfect name for you. What do you think?"

The owl cooed softly, its claws scratching against the tree branch. It ruffled its wings again and scooted even closer to the window. The owl leaned forward and bumped its head against the mesh by my hand. I smiled and hummed lightly in content.

"Well, I'm glad you like it," I laughed. Jareth rubbed his beak against the mesh and cooed again. "You're surprisingly friendly for a wild owl," I noted.

The music playing from my laptop grew steadily louder and I leaned my head against the windowsill. Jareth blinked almost expectantly up at me and I laughed again.

"You are the strangest little owl I've ever met. You seem to like my taste in music and you're extremely friendly." The song playing reached my favorite part and it was impossible for me to resist the urge to sing along. "_Just a song in my head… I think it's beautiful. Beautiful, beautiful notes, beautiful, beautiful sounds. Don't you agree?_"

I closed my eyes and let my body move freely to the music. "_It's beautiful, so very beautiful. Music that comes uncontrolled. Floating and lovely and bold._"

The song changed to the next I the sequence and I smiled. I let the music continue when my part ended, but kept my eyes closed. I focused on every note, letting it tear through my heart and move my body.

"_Have you ever yearned to go past the world you think you know, been enthralled to the call of the beauty underneath? Have you let it draw you in past the place where dreams begin, felt the full breathless pull of the beauty underneath?_" I lifted one hand and let it drift through the air in time with the melody. "_When the dark unfolds its wings, do you sense the strangest things? Things no one would ever guess, things mere words cannot express?_"

I let myself fall into the music, become a part of it. "_Do you find yourself beguiled by the dangerous and wild? Do you feed on the need for the beauty underneath? Have you felt your senses surge and surrendered to the urge and been hooked as you looked at the beauty underneath?_" Passion for the music swelled in my chest and I leaned forward as the feeling moved me. "_When you stare behind the night, can you glimpse its primal might? Might you hunger to possess, hunger that you can't repress?_"

The softer part of the song came and I leaned back. My heart soared with each high note. And then the loud, passionate melody came back and I poured myself into the lyrics. "_Is the music in your head, have you followed where it led and been graced with a taste of the beauty underneath?_ _Does it fill your every sense, is it terribly intense? Tell me you need it too, need the beauty underneath._" My hand swirled in the air. "_When it lifts its voice and sings, don't you feel amazing things? Things you know you can't confess, things you thirst for nonetheless._ _It's all so beautiful, almost too beautiful. Do you see what I see? …How can this be what it seems? All of my most secret dreams somehow set free!_"

I sang with the rest of the song until it ended and skipped forward to the next piece in the sequence. Realizing that I still had the window open and that my hand was still pressed against the owl's beak, I opened my eyes and gazed meekly at the barn owl.

* * *

Jareth knew then that he had to bring her back to his world. Her raw passion and love for the music made him realize that she needed the training he could give her in the labyrinth. With the teachers and trainers back home, she could be the most remarkable singer either world had ever known.

It seemed to him that she had a dozen surprises in store with him. After her quite awe-inspiring performance, Diana flashed Jareth a shy smile and shrugged. "Sorry about that," she apologized. "I get a little into the music sometimes."

Jareth shook his head, still stunned by her performance. He continued to stare wide-eyed at her as she whispered nonsense to him. Instead of feeling ridiculous at being treated like a mindless animal, Jareth let her continue her babbling as he gazed curiously at her. She had no idea that he had been watching her over the past few weeks without her knowing.

_Where does she keep that voice?_ he wondered. _She hides that remarkable voice behind a shy smile and a veil of innocence._

Unfortunately, a tugging at his mind's eye told Jareth that he had to leave for the labyrinth. He could see the goblins up to all sorts of mischief and knew that if he stayed in the Aboveworld for much longer, he would return home to a terrible mess. So while Diana was turned away to work at her "laptop", he flew off and headed home.

_I will return,_ Jareth promised the girl. _I must._


End file.
